worldstheory
07/19/03, 03:56 PM
Hey guys, I've never posted a song for anyone to read yet, so I'm kind of self-concious, but I'm willing to go out on a limb because I'm proud of this song. Me and my friend are trying to start a band, so we're writing songs like crazy, but few of the ones I've written have been this personal.
Here's the backstory. There's a fourteen-year-old girl from Osorno, Chile, named Andrea who I accidentally met on the Internet a few weeks ago. She doesn't speak much English, so I realized it was a good opportunity to keep my Spanish tight over the summer. So we've become sort of Spanish pen-pals, and we IM each other a lot. Earlier today, I logged on, and Andrea IMed me to say that she couldn't stop crying because her parents just seperated, and tonight her dad would be spending the night at Andrea's grandparents' house. I did my best to make her feel better, but I felt really bad for her. So then after I logged off, I went into my room and wrote this song, and I think it's pretty good. I peppered it a bit with Spanish phrases to reflect the fact that our original conversation was in Spanish. At the end, I'll go back and give a little Spanish glossary so you guys can fully understand it. Here it is:
Para mi Amiguita
I can’t say that I know for sure, just how much it hurts
All I can do is listen, try to keep you from feeling worse
I just hope it’s enough for me to try to stop the tears
My sweet amiguita, you told me your hopes and fears
Seven thousand miles between us, a vuelo de pájaro
Your world just fell to pieces, and now it hurts you so
You told me your secret, your parents had a fight
In a fit of anguish, papá won’t be en casa tonight
I know it’s hard for me to save you, living so far away
But just to make you smile, I’ll say what I have to say
I don’t quite know what you’re going through, invierno en julio
But please feel free to impart on me just what there is to know
Be strong for tu hermanita, don’t let her see you cry
She’s too young to know what’s going on, too quiet to ask you why
It’s horrible to think about, una familia dividida
Don’t forget to stand up strong, no pierdas tu sonrisa
glossary:
Para mi Amiguita: "For my Friend"; the "ita" at the end of "amiguita" is a diminutive that brings it closer to "little friend" and it's feminine.
a vuelo de pájaro: "as the crow flies"; lit. "at bird-flight"
papá: "dad" or "daddy", obviously
en casa: "at home"
invierno en julio: "winter in July"; in case you didn't know, in the southern hemisphere, it's winter when we have summer. Here, I'm using it as a metaphor for how I am safe, comfortable, and sheltered in my own life (summer), she is undergoing pain and hurt in her life (winter)
tu hermanita: "your little sister"; Andrea has a two-year-old sister named Lía who is too young to understand what's going on
una familia dividida: "a family divided" (or "a broken home")
no pierdas tu sonrisa: "don't lose your smile"
Feel free to tear it apart. Tell me what you like and what you don't like. I'm open to criticism. I'm feeling almost like it's lacking something. Like it's a bunch of verses and no chorus. If you guys feel the same way, let me know.
Here's the backstory. There's a fourteen-year-old girl from Osorno, Chile, named Andrea who I accidentally met on the Internet a few weeks ago. She doesn't speak much English, so I realized it was a good opportunity to keep my Spanish tight over the summer. So we've become sort of Spanish pen-pals, and we IM each other a lot. Earlier today, I logged on, and Andrea IMed me to say that she couldn't stop crying because her parents just seperated, and tonight her dad would be spending the night at Andrea's grandparents' house. I did my best to make her feel better, but I felt really bad for her. So then after I logged off, I went into my room and wrote this song, and I think it's pretty good. I peppered it a bit with Spanish phrases to reflect the fact that our original conversation was in Spanish. At the end, I'll go back and give a little Spanish glossary so you guys can fully understand it. Here it is:
Para mi Amiguita
I can’t say that I know for sure, just how much it hurts
All I can do is listen, try to keep you from feeling worse
I just hope it’s enough for me to try to stop the tears
My sweet amiguita, you told me your hopes and fears
Seven thousand miles between us, a vuelo de pájaro
Your world just fell to pieces, and now it hurts you so
You told me your secret, your parents had a fight
In a fit of anguish, papá won’t be en casa tonight
I know it’s hard for me to save you, living so far away
But just to make you smile, I’ll say what I have to say
I don’t quite know what you’re going through, invierno en julio
But please feel free to impart on me just what there is to know
Be strong for tu hermanita, don’t let her see you cry
She’s too young to know what’s going on, too quiet to ask you why
It’s horrible to think about, una familia dividida
Don’t forget to stand up strong, no pierdas tu sonrisa
glossary:
Para mi Amiguita: "For my Friend"; the "ita" at the end of "amiguita" is a diminutive that brings it closer to "little friend" and it's feminine.
a vuelo de pájaro: "as the crow flies"; lit. "at bird-flight"
papá: "dad" or "daddy", obviously
en casa: "at home"
invierno en julio: "winter in July"; in case you didn't know, in the southern hemisphere, it's winter when we have summer. Here, I'm using it as a metaphor for how I am safe, comfortable, and sheltered in my own life (summer), she is undergoing pain and hurt in her life (winter)
tu hermanita: "your little sister"; Andrea has a two-year-old sister named Lía who is too young to understand what's going on
una familia dividida: "a family divided" (or "a broken home")
no pierdas tu sonrisa: "don't lose your smile"
Feel free to tear it apart. Tell me what you like and what you don't like. I'm open to criticism. I'm feeling almost like it's lacking something. Like it's a bunch of verses and no chorus. If you guys feel the same way, let me know.